Period 5 Timeline

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Seven Years' War

1756 - 1763

The Seven Years' War was a large imperial conflict between Great Britain and France. It ended with Great Britain taking Florida from Spain and Canada from France. During this time Britain was at the height of its power and this war also marked the beginning of events that led to America's independence.

Voyages of Captain James Cook in the Pacific Ocean

1768 - 1780

Captain James Cook was an 18th century explorer and navigator whose achievements in mapping the Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia greatly changed Western perceptions of world geography.

American Revolution

1775 - 1781

The American Revolution was the result of the political, social, and intellectual transformations in government in American society. The American Revolution was caused by excessive taxation by British Parliament in which the Americans revolted and gained independence from Britain. The Boston Tea Party was also a result of the American Revolution, when hundreds of people threw British tea off boats and into the harbor.

French Revolution

1789 - 1799

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval in France that marked the decline of power of monarchies and churches and a rise of democracy and nationalism. People resented the privileges of the aristocracy and the clergy which grew during economic crisis, bad harvests and expensive wars, this promoted demands for change.

Haitian Revolution

1793 - 1804

The Haitian Revolution occurred in the French colony of Saint-Domingue and was the only successful slave revolt. The Haitian Revolution was also the only slave revolt that led to the founding of a state and was led by Toussaint L'Overture.

Rule of Napoleon Bonaparte

1799 - 1814

During Napoleon's reign he limited the power of the legislative assembly and returned authoritarian rule to France. Napoleon also codified laws in "Code Napoleon", granted religious freedom, and denied women basic rights.

Rule of Muhammad Ali in Egypt

1805 - 1848

Muhammad Ali's overall goal was to establish a powerful, European style state. To do so he reorganized Egyptian society, trained a professional bureaucracy, streamlined the economy, and build a more modern military. He also monopolized trade in Egypt and required all goods to be sold to the state.

End of the British Slave Trade

1807

The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was formed by a group of Protestants that allied with the Quakers, it was formed to united shared opposition of the slave trade and slavery. The Quakers had always viewed slavery immoral and were looking for a way to get it abolished. Britain also used its international strength to pressure other nations into abolishing their slave trade.

Independence wars in Latin America

1810 - 1825

The Latin American Independence Wars were revolutions that resulted in the creation of a number of independent countries in Latin America. One reason for these wars was enlightenment thinking, which spurred the desire for social and economic reform spread throughout Latin America. An example of these enlightenment ideas would be ideas about free trade.

Congress of Vienna

1814 - 1815

The Congress of Vienna was a congress of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. The goal of this congress was to provide peace (long-term)for Europe by settling arising conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars and the French Revolutionary Wars.

Opium War in China

1839 - 1842

The Opium War was fought between Great Britain and China over their views on trade, diplomatic relations, and the administration of justice for foreign nations. Also the Chinese wanted to end the spread of opium and confiscated thousands of chests of opium from British traders. The Treaty of Nanking ended this war but didn't satisfy the British for long so eventually the Second Opium War began.

Publication of the "Communist Manifesto"

1848

The "Communist Manifesto" was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This book contains their theories about nature of society and politics. It also explains about how our capitalist society will eventually be replaced by socialism and after that communism.

Taiping Rebellion

1850 - 1864

The Taiping Rebellion was a massive civil war in South China lead by Hong Xiuquan against Manchu who led the Qing dynasty. This rebellion included social reforms, equality for women, and the replacement of Buddhism and Confucianism with Christianity.

Matthew Perry's expedition to Tokyo

1854

Matthew Perry's expedition to Tokyo, also known as the "Perry Expedition", was a U.S. naval and diplomatic expedition that involved two trips to and from Japan. This expedition resulted in the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the western "Great Powers" and the opening of Japan to American and international trade.

Sepoy Rebellion

1857

The Sepoy Rebellion was a revolt of Indian soldiers against the British. This rebellion was caused by a military practice in violation of the Muslim and Hindu faiths.

Abolition of serfdom in Russia

1861

This was the first and most important of liberal reforms effected during the reign of Alexander II of Russia. Serfdom was abolished because of the fear of large-scale revolts, the financial needs of the government, and the unprofitability of serfdom. When Russia emancipated the serfs, other countries around the world followed. This lead to change everywhere.

U.S. Civil War

1861 - 1865

The American Civil War was one of the first industrial wars. The war was fought between the Confederate States and the Union. The war was fought about slavery in the United States, especially the extension of slavery into the Western territories. The four years of battle lead to the Confederacy collapsing, and the abolishment of slavery in the United States.

Abolition of Slavery in the United States

1865

In 1863, LIncoln's Emancipation Proclamation started the road to the end of slavery.The 13th amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War before the Southern states had been restored to the Union. The Senate passed it in April 1864,but the House did not. So, Lincoln insisted that passage of the 13th amendment should be added to the Republican Party platform for the upcoming Presidential elections. Because of this, the House passed the bill in 1865. All slaves were freed, and they were guaranteed civil rights.

Meiji Restoration (Japan)

1868

The Meiji Restoration ended feudalism in Japan and centralized its government. It also industrialized Japan, educated Japan, and professionalized Japan's military. The Meiji Restoration also stopped the isolation of Japan's trade, and lead Japan into International trade, boosting Japan's economy.

Opening of the Suez Canal

1869

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It allows ships to travel between Europe and eastern Asia without navigating around Africa. This lead to easier and more efficient trade throughout the Mediterranean region.

Berlin Conference

1884 - 1885

The Berlin Conference partitioned Africa into colonies ruled by Great Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Italy. Only Liberia and Ethiopia remained free. The divisions of the Berlin Conference were carried out without regard for ethnic and cultural groups. Boundaries dividing the territories often cut through ethnic and cultural groups, placing members of a single group in different colonies dominated by different European powers. The divisions greatly disrupted traditional African cultural life, while they did add railways, roads, and other public works such as hospitals.

Spanish-American War

1898 - 1899

When the Cubans rebelled against Spanish rule in 1895, U.S. businessmen became concerned about their Cuban investments. So, when the U.S. battleship "Maine" exploded in Havana harbor, the United States went to war against Spain. U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War resulted in Spanish cession of Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States and the U.S. purchase of the Philippines. During this, the U.S. rose to become a Global Power.

Boer War

1899 - 1902

Tensions between the British and the Boers started the Boer War. After this conflict, the Boers began a period of dominance over native South Africans. In 1902, the individual Boer republics maintained their self-governing status as they were united into the Union of South Africa, controlled by Great Britain.